U.S. TV science expert Miles O'Brien has lost an arm in a freak accident.

The former CNN anchor, who is known for his science shows, had his left arm amputated above the elbow after a minor injury from an accident with packing cases left him suffering acute compartment syndrome, a buildup of pressure in the limb.

O'Brien explained his health crisis in a post on his blog, revealing he had no idea such a seemingly innocuous injury could escalate into something serious.

He writes, "I had finished my last shoot after a long reporting trip to Japan and the Philippines and was stacking the Pelican cases brimming with TV gear onto my cart... One of the cases toppled onto my left forearm... It hurt, but I wasn't all '911' about it... It was painful and swollen but I figured it would be okay without any medical intervention..."

He adds of his amputation, "It's been a challenging week dealing with the phantom pain, the vicissitudes of daily life with one hand and the worries about what lies ahead. Life is all about playing the hand that is dealt you. Actually, I would love somebody to deal me another hand right about now - in more ways than one."